Purple Mashed Potatoes for Baby with Butter and Whole Milk
Petite purple potatoes boiled and mashed with 3 tbsp butter and 3 tbsp whole milk for babies ready for solids. Contains milk.
Petite purple potatoes make a purple mash that's simple to prepare for a baby who is ready for solid foods. This recipe uses 3 ingredients (1 lb petite purple potatoes, 3 tbsp butter, and 3 tbsp whole milk), and it contains milk. Jump to the recipe
Purple potatoes, not purple sweet potatoes
This recipe is made with petite purple potatoes. It isn't a purple sweet potato recipe, and the method and times here are written for potatoes. In the Yummy Bites app, it appears as Violet Mashed Potatoes.
How the method works
- Start in cold water. The washed, quartered potatoes go into a pot and are covered with cold water, with the pot about half full. There's no fixed water measurement; the potatoes just need to be covered.
- Boil about 10 minutes. The potatoes are ready when they're soft enough to mash easily with a fork. The time is approximate, so go by texture.
- Mash, then add the dairy. After draining, the potatoes go back into the warm pot and get broken down with a potato masher. The melted butter and warm milk are stirred in until just combined.
The recipe uses the butter and milk amounts listed and adds no salt, cheese, herbs, or other mix-ins.
Texture, readiness, and serving
A hand-mashed potato can still have lumps, so let the mash cool and check the texture yourself before offering it. The app labels this recipe from 6 months, but an age label isn't a readiness check for your baby. The UK's NHS describes starting solid foods at around 6 months together with signs of developmental readiness.
Offer the mash with your baby sitting upright and supervised, and let them set the pace. You can serve it in a bowl or on a preloaded spoon that your baby holds. For more on spoons, see our guide to the baby self-feeding spoon. Questions about your own child's readiness or a possible milk allergy are best taken to your pediatrician.
Milk in this recipe: US and UK guidance
- Allergen: Butter and whole milk are both dairy, so this recipe contains milk, which the FDA identifies as a major food allergen in the US. It isn't dairy-free or vegan.
- Handling: We specify pasteurized whole milk. CDC guidance on cow's milk for young children calls for pasteurized milk and advises against raw milk. That guidance covers milk as a drink; it isn't a US approval for cooking with milk at 6 months.
- Cooking with milk: The UK's NHS says cow's milk can be used in cooking from around 6 months. That's UK guidance, not a US rule.
Potatoes aren't one of the FDA's major allergens, but the FDA notes that other foods can also cause allergic reactions. The recipe doesn't specify salted or unsalted butter, so check the labels on the butter and milk you buy. Our guide on how to read baby food labels can help.
About this recipe
This recipe is adapted from the Violet Mashed Potatoes recipe in the Yummy Bites app. The amounts and method follow the app; the one change is that we specify pasteurized whole milk where the app lists whole milk. The article was editorially reviewed against the public guidance listed in the sources; it hasn't been kitchen-tested for this article or clinically reviewed. Prep and cook times are app estimates.
The photo is a generated illustration of mashing in progress. It doesn't show the finished texture or confirm the amounts of butter or milk, whether the milk is pasteurized, the temperature, age suitability, or yield.
For more ideas, browse the Yummy Bites recipes.
Purple Mashed Potatoes for Baby
Petite purple potatoes boiled until fork-tender, then mashed with melted butter and warm whole milk. Contains milk.
- Preparation time
- Cooking time
Ingredients
- 1 lb petite purple potatoes, thoroughly washed and quartered
- 3 tbsp butter, melted
- 3 tbsp pasteurized whole milk, warmed
Method
- Boil the potatoes Place the quartered potatoes in a pot and cover them with cold water, filling the pot until it is about half full.
- Cook until tender Bring the pot to a boil. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft enough to mash easily with a fork.
- Mash Drain the water and return the potatoes to the warm pot. Break them down with a potato masher, then add the melted butter and warm milk and stir until just combined.
Allergens
- Milk
Serving
Contains milk. Let the mash cool and check the texture before offering. Serve in a bowl or on a preloaded spoon your baby holds, with your baby sitting upright and supervised and setting the pace. The 6-month app label is not a readiness check.
Sources
This article is for general educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your pediatrician or a qualified healthcare provider about your baby's diet, allergies and readiness for solids.
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